Over the years numerous types of chlorinating devices have evolved for use in conjunction with swimming pools. The nature of such chlorinating devices has varied from complex, sophisticated treatment systems for use in conjunction with larger pools to small floating containers which are often employed in conjunction with pools which are volumetrically rather small. In recent years there has been a large influx in the number of intermediate size pools due in part to the proliferation of backyard pools in many parts of the country. The chlorination devices for neither large nor small pools have proven to be totally satisfactory for use in conjunction with intermediate pool sizes, the complex systems employed for large pools being excessively expensive to install and maintain and the floating containers for small pools having insufficient capacity and operating limitations, such as an inability to adequately distribute the chlorinated water output, incompatible with many intermediate pool sizes.
The chlorinators designed for small pool configurations have frequently employed an open container such that chlorination operations discharge a sufficient quantity of chlorine gas to provide an undesirable environment in the pool area. Efforts to adapt container chlorinators for small pools to the water recirculation systems of larger pool sizes have normally not eliminated the chlorine gas problems and have in many instances created additional problems. For example, a number of such systems supply a quantity of uniformly chlorinated water and rely upon the rate of flow of water through the chlorine to vary the chlorination output as required for a particular pool and under particular circumstances. Such flow control chlorination systems employed in conjunction with a pool water recirculation system frequently have the disability that an extent of clogging of the filter or other factors can significantly vary the flow rate which in turn varies the chlorination output to the pool. These and other problems have generally plagued chlorinators being employed in respect of intermediate and small size pools.